Two Popsicles

it's boots and chaps, it's cowboy hats {it's spurs and latigo}

2012-02-06T18:51:00.001-05:00

I had visions of this post resembling one by the Pioneer Woman. You know, with dust flying, animals in mid-air, and giant 10-gallon cowboy hats. Alas, professional cameras were not allowed at the rodeo. Oh yes, we went on Friday night. PBR, baby! We got 4 tickets to a show in Baltimore, and took cousin Tommy. I managed to sneak a couple photos - in between sips of my Pabst Blue Ribbon. Roger's a big fan of PBR (see a little red on his neck?) and Emma and Tommy enjoyed seeing the cowboys. Emma told me that was the best 'movie' she had seen in a long time. Silly girl. :)

Yeehaw Y'all! Happy Monday!

She came dressed for the part. Natch.

Fourty of the finest men in America (well, and Brazil....and Argentina, etc).

Splitting a cotton candy with Tommy

8 seconds is a loooong time when you're on an angry bull!

Is there any other choice? :)

Favorite Things Friday

2012-01-27T09:04:00.015-05:00

I've seen other bloggers do this, and it really is fun. This is just a little group of things that I've/we've been loving recently.

1). Target girls Jeggings. These things are the BOMB! My sis turned me onto them. Emma is built just like me - long waisted with short legs. Even with adjustable waist jeans, pants just never fit her right. Well, helllllooooo ladiessss. These are fantasic. They pull right up, and go with practically everything. She tucks them into boots or wears them with her twinkle toes. We picked up two pairs the other day and wore one to school today. She came home ranting and raving about them being the best pants she's ever worn. Done. And done.

2) Kashi frozen pizza. I always stock up on a few frozen pizzas for our usual Friday night pizza night. Usually the basic ones are fine, and I throw on some veggies and extra tomatoes. But then I discovered Kashi brand frozen pizzas. If you're a Kashi fan, you know how GOOD their stuff is. The pizzas are great too! The three of us can split one pizza, and I feel good knowing that we're eating a decently healthy meal. My favorite part is their Flax Seed Meal crust. We usually get the Mediterranean ones, but the others are fab too. Dinner in 10 minutes? Um, okay!

3) My black and tan boots. They rock. They're the only boots I've owned that did NOT gap at the top of the calf. Minor detail, but I am anal retentive about boots fitting me properly. Plus, they go with everything!

4) The Cooking Light's Way to Cook Vegetarian cookbook. Cooking Light has a series of Way to Cook cookbooks and they are all visual guides to cooking. This? Is for me. I need pictures - lots of them. I happened to pick this one up at the library, and I've already tagged it up. This could be revolutionary for me. We eat pretty well, but I always want to find a way to incorporate more vegetables - especially into breakfast and lunch. We're not going to go full bore vegetarian, but I like to have a couple nights a week where dinner is meatless. It's recession chic. :) Roger enjoys a good protein, but Emma doesn't eat much, and I could take it or leave it. So this is a good compromise for all of us. I LOVE visual guides when cooking. Definitely a favorite for us, give it a try!

5) Spinach smoothies. Ok, before you get all turn-up-your-nosey at me, just hear me out. It's JUST like any other smoothie you would have, except it's green. I'll give you that. For this one, I threw some bananas, frozen berries, frozen mangos, a little orange juice, a little water and a handful of baby spinach in a blender. That's it. The raw baby spinach doesn't taste like much (the strong flavor comes when cooked) and everything else is sweet. I topped it with whipped cream for fun. I've been getting a request for this daily, so I'm clearly not forcing anyone to do anything they don't want to do :)

6) Sundown Naturals Vitamin D3 caplets. There's been a lot of talk recently about Vitamin D deficiency. I didn't worry about this as much in San Diego, but according to some research most people living in the Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast USA are not getting enough Vitamin D. I started taking these a few months ago (as soon as the days threatened to get shorter) and I definitely think it's improved my mood. I take 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 a day, along with a Calcium supplement, Cod Liver oil and Folic Acid. I am always interested to hearing people's vitamin stories. What do you take?

Happy Friday!

irish cows

2012-01-23T09:58:00.002-05:00

In an effort to blog more (and less self-consciously), I'll probably end up posting a lot of randomness. Today's randomness is brought to you by Irish cows.

The picture below (albeit not a very good one.....it was hard to get the white balance just right) is of two sticks of butter. The one on the left - Kirkland brand unsalted butter (which we buy in bulk at Costco. We go through a LOT of butter). The one of the right - a stick of Kerrygold butter. This is "pure Irish butter" made from grass-only fed cows.

I first heard about Kerrygold watching a great cooking show that seems to air sporadically on PBS (Rachel's Favorite Food at Home). Pretty standard (if British...so everything is in metric) cooking show, but she made a point to talk about the benefits of dairy from grass-fed cows, and the show ends with a commercial for kerrygold (clearly, a sponsor). Anyway, the food looks amazing and easy, but the last few seconds featuring those shiny cows grazing on neon green pastures, fresh mountain air, birds singing, and I! was! sold!

I stumbled upon a stick last week at none other than Trader Joe's. At almost $3 a stick it's a luxury-butter, but my point to all of this was to show you a visual! The Kirkland brand butter on the left looks tired, doesn't it? The grass-fed cow butter on the right looks rich and yellow and scrumptious. Who knows if there's any scientific weight to grass-only fed, but I sure feel healthier eating it!

Happy Monday!

snow-ish

2012-01-21T10:47:00.001-05:00

To a 4 year old, the one inch (was it even that much?) of snow we got today might as well have been a blizzard. Girlfriend bounded out of bed, and flapped her little arms and couldn't stop jumping up and down. We kept it easy and walked around the 'hood looking for a couple of light hills. She was less than enthusiastic about having to carry the sled back up the hill.

I know, I can't believe I posted these on the same day either. I'm getting to be such a big girl! :)

happy snow day!

2012 goals & 2011 year in review

2012-01-10T13:04:00.004-05:00

This ridiculous post has been open on my browser for 10 days. This phenomeon of blog-post-procrastination of mine is listed below, because I am tired of my inability to publish regularly. Stop being so perfectionistic - it's just a blog, Erika. So, I'm finally going to publish this! It may not be interesting to anyone other than my mom, but it's a way for me to go back and keep track of my own progress throughout the year. I tend to forget my own goals.

Speaking of goals, I'm going to try something new this year. I have a little mental graveyard of resolutions made in years past. Maybe they were unrealistic, or bad timing, or just plain silly. My list for this year is going to be referred to as 'goals', as perhaps the terminology will soften my anxiety about whether or not they get done. These are things I would like to accomplish in 2012, but I am not going to flog myself if I don't. In fact, they might be better accomplished next year. It's a respectable task by itself for me to get all my thoughts out of my head, and on paper (or the web, lol) so that's what this list is. This is unusually long for my blog posts, so feel free to skip over to the pictures if that's your fancy. :)

Here they are in no particular order:

Find and research our next home. Driven by the hunt for a better school district, we would like to move in the next 1-2 years. Preferably to a single story, contemporary stone or brick rancher on at least an acre. ISO 4+ bedrooms, hardwood floors and the character that older homes usually possess. Must have fireplace (a real one!), a garage and a yard. In a close, child-friendly neighborhood. Anything else - a plus. Above all, the house has to have a lot of natural light. I am a photographer after all. :)

Take better care of myself. I am OCD about Emma's doctors appointments and her fluoride treatments and her nutrition, etc. But when it comes to me, I get lazy. I haven't been to the dentist in @(#**$ years. I'm scared. Until we moved to California, I had been to the same dentist for virtually my whole life. He came to our wedding! I'm terrified to go anywhere else, and yet, I can't bring myself to drive to D.C. to see him. He's probably going to retire soon. I really need to get on it. Mom, you have my permission to bug me on this one.

In addition, I need to find a good dermatologist, an ENT (to find a solution to my chronic post-nasal-drip), a thyroid specialist, and a few others. Did I mention I'm 35? Did anyone mention that your metabolism turns to crap when you turn 35? Do they have a doctor for that? :)

Take better care of myself - part II. Part of this goal is to get back into two things I love: running and yoga. I have missed regular yoga classes, and I finally found one at my local gym that is great for me. I can go to 2 classes a week and incorporate it into my running schedule. As for the running, my sister cajoled me into signing up for a half-marathon in April. I paid the money, and I downloaded the app onto my phone. My training schedule is on the calendar for all to see, and my new running shoes are coming in the mail today. I guess this means it's on like Donkey Kong. God help me. :)

Research and find and Emma's kindergarten. Directly related to the first item, I would like to find a great school district for Em by the time she starts kindergarten. Luckily, we have a little time. The cutoff in Maryland is September 1st, so she misses it by 3 weeks. That means, she'll start kindergarten in the fall of 2013. Fine by me - but I would prefer to find a school that she can plug into and stay in for the remainder of her schooling. Western Howard County has great public schools, so that's where we'd like to end up. If we haven't made the move by then, I think we'll send her to a private (Catholic) school. That means, we would like to become involved in the parish, and that means we have a lot of work to do.

Photography goals. This is such a scattered list, but I do want to keep pursuing my business. This year will probably be the year to make the switch to Lightroom. It took years, but I have perfected my ACR/Photoshop workflow. I'm terribly anxious about learning a new workflow, but I have heard so many people have done it, and would never go back. I'd also like to attend some PPA workshops, buy a new lens, and take a little more of a 'fashion' photography approach to my posing/images. We'll see. The big thing for me is just to keep myself out there. I tend to get intimidated by other photographers' progress, and it holds me back. Be gentle on myself, and above all, BE myself. Those are my goals.

Plant a garden. We got our toes wet with this idea last year. Roger and Emma planted a few simple vegetables in containers on our back deck. Eggplant, basil, tomatoes, and lavender. They all did remarkably well for such simple living arrangements (and overly eager squirrels). Maybe this year we'll try a few more. We have to practice now for when we have our big farm and grow bushels of corn and live off the grid. :)

Get Emma in her own bed. Regularly. If 2011 was the year of the paci, then 2012 is the year of the bed. 9 times out of 10 we have a visitor in our bed a little after midnight. The problem? Is that it's not really a problem. She is a happy little bedmate and rarely interrupts our night. It's so easy. She climbs in, we snuggle in together and everyone sleeps happily until 7 or 8 in the morning. She doesn't even roll that much. So why even bother? Well, it does have some drawbacks - mainly that it's really really hard for me to try and wake up a little early (to have some 'me' time). I might set the alarm with the best of intentions, but inevitably, I'll always chose sleep, especially nuzzled next to her warm little body.   If we have another baby, it might make things complicated, so it's something we keep talking about working on. It's a work in progress. :)

Read more. This was something I was terrible at in 2011. When you're working for yourself, and working from home, it's a constant juggle. You're always 'on'. If you're not doing family/house stuff, you feel as if you should be working. At night, the time I could be reading is usually spent in front of the computer. Occasionally, I watch tv, but aside from a few regulars, I really don't watch much. I'm part of a great book club, that pushes me to read things outside my normal mystery comfort zone, so it's going to be good to exercise the old wrists.

Fearless blogging. It seems everyone has a blog now. Some of them are really good. And some of them have a gazillion readers. Gah! How do these people do it? I mean, there are blogs written about how to get more followers of your blog! I realize that this started out as a little family blog. We were living in CA at the time, and most of our family was back east and curious at how tiny baby was growing. But I've encountered blogs along the way that develop real relationships with its readers. Neat! I'd love to think I have something to relate to. Anyway, the only way to start is by blogging more often. So I'm really going to try!

Thrift more. I really want to try and make a concerted effort to buy used whenever possible. My first instinct is to rush out to a big box store if I need something, but the truth is, it's likely already out there - for half the price - in just as good condition.   I suppose I could turn this into a giant political statement about our society's excess, materialism, consumerism, landfills and waste, but really, it's just about the thrill of the hunt, and saving some money. Thrift shops are like libraries to me. There's just a whole experience involved. I love to scout out the good ones, the trendy ones, the cheap ones. If I end up reducing my overall 'global footprint' then that's a plus.

Get an EZ-pass. It's been on my 'to do' list for 6 months, and I keep forgetting to do it. Between road trips to NYC, the new Inter-County Connector and the bay bridge/beach, it's a nobrainer. So....I'm going to put it on here so I stop forgetting! **You'll be happy to know that while this post was being written, I finally crossed this one off my list!**

Emma's baby book.   This is embarrassing. I still don't have a baby book for Emma. For the first 3 months after she was born, I took the obligatory 9,384 pictures of her - all on a crappy point-and-shoot. The pictures are grainy, every shot used the flash, and there are 45 versions of the same pose, each picture only slightly different than the previous. I got my SLR for Xmas that year, and my life changed as I knew it. I was now taking 18,391 pictures of her each month. The point is, I got totally bogged down in pictures. And I just let it build up. I was new to photography, so I couldn't bear to delete anything. Well, four years later I have a much better workflow, and a much better perspective on which picture I should keep and which one I can delete. In fact now, I have some months with only 8 pictures, but they're all keepable and album-able. So my goal this year is to have an album to give to her before she turns 5. My baby's turning 5 this year!   Nooooo!!

Baby. Speaking of babies, we'd love to have another baby. Le Sigh.........That rascally stork doesn't seem to pay us any mind. Infertility ain't for sissies, and this isn't our first rodeo. It was a crazy journey the first time around, so we took a much more relaxed approach the second time around, assuming it wouldn't be an issue. Well, apparently life has other plans.   It didn't happen last year, or the year before that. After just 'seeing what would happen' - we realized it wasn't - and started working with Shady Grove. We tried a little of this and a little of that. We got all the way up to In Vitro. We can't afford IVF, so my goal for this year is to try and a find a new set of doctors who are willing to work with us. I am 35, so I am now in the lovely (and ridiculous) category of 'Advanced Maternal Age' (whatever that means).   Hopefully, we can find someone willing to figure out a little more about what's going on, and in the meantime, we'll still take a relaxed approach to it all. At some point, we might have to make peace with it not happening, but 2012 is a long year, so keep your fingers crossed for us. :)

Well, congratulations if you've made it this far. I can't believe I am finally publishing this. With that, here's a little photo recap/year in review for 2011. Happy New Year!

January 2011 - stuck indoors, the primates feast on lots of jarred peanut butter.

February 2011

March 2011 - I took an image, and added a pencil filter to it in Photoshop.

April 2011 - Jacob's Bar Mitzvah. Gotta love a photobooth. :)

May 2011 - Boulder, Colorado - Rachael's graduation

June 2011 - Father's day on the boat

July 2011 - East Hampton, NY

August 2011 - Bethany Beach, DE

September 2011 - FOUR!!

October 2011 - Halloween/The Child Bride (gulp!)

November 2011 - Festival of Trees (Baltimore Fairgrounds)

December 2011 - Margot (2) , Emma (4) and Emma (her namesake)

it's the most, wonderfully hectic time of year

2011-12-29T14:57:00.005-05:00

9 adults, 3 dogs and 2 kids = I didn't get a lot of pictures. But we had a wonderful time together. There's even a cute video at the bottom. :)

Merry Merry!!

emmaisms

2011-12-18T11:43:00.001-05:00

It's getting to be a habit now, for OTHER people to share with me the funny things that Emma says. Just the other day, she had a playdate with a school friend of hers. They went over to Mary's house after school, and when I came over to pick Emma up, Mary's mom greeted me with a cup of tea, and we chatted. The first thing she wanted to do was tell me what Em had said that made her laugh.

Emma (to Mary's mom): "I have to go to the bathroom."
Mary's mom: "Ok, sweetie, do you need any help?"
Emma: "No, thank you."
Upon exiting the bathroom, Mary's mom goes: "Everything come out ok?" (heehee)
Emma: "Yep! Just like I planned it!" (and skips on down the hallway).

Such a turkey.

And because I am still wearing my mommy goggles, I want to share with you her first report card of the school year. :)

thrift with me thursday

2011-12-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid growing up in D.C., my sister and I were introduced to thrifting by my wonderful Emma, aka nanny/surrogate-grandmother-extraordinaire (and yes, my little one's namesake). She would take us on adventures all over the city by public bus, and she knew every thrift store on every corner. I remember one of my favorite ones was in the basement of the church at Chevy Chase Circle. I think those old ladies got to know us by name. I bet it's still there.

I remember hunting through piles of old lady's gloves and hatpins and stuffed animals and costume jewelry. Over the years my taste changed, of course. As a teenager, I hunted down plaid flannel shirts at every Salvation Army and Goodwill store I could find (Hello? Nirvana?) Now, I walk in and I'm instantly transported to that musty church basement. The flouroescent lights, and the smell of...what.....dust? Dirt? Sounds inviting, doesn't it? Heh. :) Then comes pride in ownership. I feel like every visit has the potential of hitting some kind of lottery, and the anticipation is almost better than the actual find.

I love the challenge of thrifting. It's gotten rather trendy recently, so you have to look harder and find the stores that nobody knows about. You have be committed to the search, even if you go through some dry spells. This week, I think I done good. I found a couple of gems and I think I spent all of $30.

Black patent leather pumps - with a platform heel. Oh, you fancy!

Red and white enamel bangle I can mix in with my others.

Vintage black leather clutch

Silver metal belt with bow clasp - perfect with cardigans

And last but not least....a vintage schoolroom pencil sharpener. Don't you remember it? Oh, I do. I remember it well. There's nothing better than a reeeeeeally sharp No. 2 pencil - right?

Speaking of pencil sharpeners, I was inspired to pick it up because it will have a new home. I am finally almost finished with Emma's Art Studio!

Originally, we had her play kitchen in this corner. But at age 4, she's not into the kitchen scene as much, and she's REALLY into the coloring/cutting/crafting/pretend homework/business executive scene. So I combined a few ideas from pinterest, and from a DIY blog and came up with this. Pretty much all of it came from IKEA. Artwork? By you-know-who.

Love the desk/drawer combo - perfect for storing paper, playdough, paint, etc. Pull it out
to reveal a desk big enough for 2 kids, and just push it in at clean up time!

I also added some curtain wire across our large kitchen window. They come with clips. Perfect for ALL THE PAPERS she brings home from preschool. Gah! Seriously?? What do I do with all that paper? Some of them are masterpieces, and some of them are dots and a scribble. Or her name.....written 1000x on a piece of notebook paper. Oy. Well, at least now I only have to part with the really obvious ones.

Thanks for looking! Happy Thrifty Thursday!
♥,
E

deck the halls

2011-12-06T13:59:00.000-05:00

I was absolutely bound and determined to enjoy the entire month of December this year. That meant, having all the 'big' things done early - tree, Xmas cards, etc. The tree is decked - went with a 'white christmas' theme this year. Our holiday cards are designed, printed and ready to go out tomorrow. If you want a little hint for those, take a peek at the new banner up above! :) I have one more photography shoot at the end of the month, but my other job culminates this weekend with the big event I've been planning for 6 months. I've really enjoyed having my party planner hat on again, but all good things must come to an end. After Saturday, I'll be able to really kick my feet up with a glass of hot apple cider, and really concentrate on the season.

We cut down our own tree this year - highly recommend it. We got lucky and found it on a warm, sunny day. I have a cute video on my phone I'll have to post - but emma did the sawing herself (with some help, of course) :)

Listened to Rachel Platten's album while decorating the tree. I'm obsessed with this album - I promise you, you'll hear it soon and will love it.

I have a few plans for the new year - not so much resolutions as much 'goals' I want to strive for. One, is to keep up with my 5am boot camp (yay me!) Two is to stop neglecting this poor, pitiful blog, and actually recruit some real followers. Three is to take my photography business up to the next level. I mean, really, really go for it. Don't know exactly what that will look like, but be prepared to be bombarded. :)

Off to get mkae some placecards. Happy Tuesday!
♥,
E

tea for two

2011-11-21T13:09:00.001-05:00

We have a lot of tea parties around here. This time, it was in honor of Emma's very first introduction to the world of American Girl.

For her birthday, Gammie took her to the American Girl cafe in McLean, where she was treated like royalty. They had a very special date, and she ate up every minute of the experience. She came home beaming with pride as a new mommy to the one and only Marie Grace.

She also came home with the remnants of her very own American Girl birthday cake, which played centerpiece during our tea party. It was chilly outside, but it didn't stop us from clanking our silverware and reading Pinkalicious. Marie Grace, you have found the right home!

Pinky's up!

super bass

2011-11-15T13:45:00.000-05:00

I happened to catch this the other day, and I played it for the Emster. We're both obsessed. Not only with the song, not only with Nikki Minaj, but also with Sophia Grace, who is surely going places.

Check. this. mother. out.

the 32nd floor

2011-11-10T14:37:00.000-05:00

My sister lives in a fabulous Manhattan apartment on the 32nd floor. Sunshine just pours in the windows, and I hope she doesn't mind when I move in and set up my photo studio right into Margot's room. :) Seriously though, the light is amazing up here. I feel like we are in the clouds of heaven.

We built a fort and the girls read, and jumped and tickled and squealed. This pictures make my heart burst - I'm so grateful they have each other!

happy halloween!

2011-11-01T10:49:00.002-04:00

Emma was a bride this year. I count my blessings that she never wavered. We got the costume in September and I feared she would change her mind at the last minute, but she was SO excited to be going as a bride that it never happened.

We got into the Halloween spirit this year. We even made a scarecrow for our front 'yard'. Dressed him, stuffed him and picked out a head for him at the local farm. And then we watched him get snowed on Saturday night, ha! I was going to be a Snowboarder (hey, I already have the outfit!) but at the last minute I ran out of time. Besides, it's hard to juggle a snowboard and a camera. :)

It was a dark and cold Halloween night. She insisted on wearing the costume without any jacket, but by the last house, she told me she couldn't ring the bell - her fingers were frozen.

Roger dressed up as a ghoul/hooligan. He managed to scare quite a few neighbors (and probably a few kids too). Here he is with Poppa, before the evening started.

Of course my little hoarder had to count her stash. :)

fashion friday fail

2011-10-28T20:41:00.001-04:00

so I had this brilliant post planned for my photo blog, where I was going to showcase outfit ideas for the photographer (since there are so many directed at the client). I have been so inspired lately by the lovely Natalie and her blog, where she mixes the latest styles based on what's in her closet. She has perfected the 'outfit pose' and I had visions that I would look just as cute, but alas, I have work to do. I am putting together some great fall outfits thanks to these blogs and Pinterest. Who know, I might even do a 30-for-30 remix. Baby steps, folks, baby steps. :)

Anyway, I thought about dragging out the tripod and the remote but then my little assistant wanted to help me and asked if she could take pictures. "I want to be the tophograther!" :)

I let her use my old camera and we got to work. Needless to say, she owned it like a diva. Telling me to pose, telling Parker to pose, and even taking pictures of random people around the lake. I have about a hundred images of blur, but it was a fun exercise and she got really into it. Who knows, there might be a new sherriff in town!

Even though I didn't get anything I can use for my blog, I did get a huge chuckle when I downloaded them onto my computer. It's a little peek into a 4 year old's mind:

TGIF! Stay warm this weekend!
XOX
Erika
PS - Oh, and in the true spirit of fashion remixes, here are the outfit details: b&w striped t-shirt - H&M; green jacket - Target; white scarf - LLBean; blue skinny jeans - GAP; boots - Clark; sunglasses - Coach; earrings - no idea! :)

ah-dee-os

2011-10-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

Emma and her dad share a bond over old country music. Or as Roger would say, the GOOD country music. Whenever they drive together, you'll catch them singing along to vintage Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and even David Allan Coe (oops). I finally caught a little of her repertoire on our way to school this morning.

And don't worry.....I had my eye on the road. I promise. :)

pinky tea

2011-10-17T09:42:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a blustery, but beautiful fall day. The plan was to go pick a pumpkin at the local farm, but Emma vetoed the idea a few minutes before arrival. Not knowing what else to do, we drove through horse country for a while and ended up in Sykesville. Not big, but a charming little street of antique shops and tea houses.

We stopped for our first ever Victorian tea party. Complete with ladies in hats, mismatched floral china, vintage wedding dresses hanging on the wall, and a collection of Victorian memorabilia. The shop owner thought Emma needed to have her very own photo shoot.

This is Roger's nervous smile. He's not entirely sure he belongs here :)

One lump or two?

Her first cup of REAL tea!

I had the pumpkin tea - not bad!

Pinky's up!

So cute.

walking through town...

graciously allowing me to work on my posing arsenal. this one was their idea! :)

decisions, decisions

2011-10-04T10:47:00.004-04:00

Holiday-card-decision-time is one of my favorite struggles of the year. I LOVE a great holiday card. I have a little collection that I've saved in a box of my favorites over the years. I love peeking at them from time to time. Because communication is so electronic these days, it seems that holiday cards are the last remaining pure experience of postal mail. From beginning to end, it's an experience. It hits your senses. It's visceral.

You get the card in the mail (what a surprise!), you read the name (it's for you! how is your name written? who is it from?), you feel the envelope in your hands (is it heavy? soft? textured? thick? large?), you notice the stamp and maybe the date or the mailing location, you open the envelope (are you a purist and go from the top? or practical and open from the side?), you read the card, touch the paper, open it or turn it over, you experience the sentiments and you (if you're like me) probably hang it somewhere for others to see. Like I said, from beginning to end, it's an experience. And.....if you're like me.....you appreciate the little details like great photos (natch), an interesting paper texture, a 3D design, amazing handwriting, a special pen used or even a whimsical stamp. I cherish them as little works of art.

Because of this special process, I love making ours as unique and as visceral as I can. It may be lost on some people, but that's ok. I do it because *I* enjoy it. I know most people like pictures, especially with little ones who grow leaps and bounds every year. It's fun to try and incorporate a little bit of a story of what we've done that year. If anything, I can put these in her baby book. Generally speaking, I always lean towards more contemporary designs, but I still love a good vintage feel to the photos. I'm such a walking contradiction. :)

So help me decide....what do you think?

Ornament cards?

simple but high impact?

holiday newsletter?

vintage spread 1?

vintage spread 2?

PS - Any blogger users notice the GREAT changes they've made to the formatting of posts? Hooorray! I can finally post images in the order and size I want, rather than having to cut & paste all the time. It was about time, folks. :)

little pieces

2011-10-02T10:22:00.007-04:00

There's no truth in advertising anymore. The manufacturers of Squinkies and Polly Pocket boast that their products help kids with fine motor skills.

I think what they leave out is the fact that it's all a giant conspiracy to see how soon Mom can stick a fork in her eye trying to keep track of all those surgeon-inspired pieces. Boy do I miss the days of infant toys - so big that tidying up took about 15 seconds. What was I sweating back then?! :)

Head --> Wall. What about you? How do you keep the little stuff corralled?

fare thee well

2011-10-01T12:01:00.006-04:00

R.I.P. MAM pacifiers

9.2007 - 9.2011

Well, it's official. We are paci free. It's a little bittersweet to tell you the truth. A part of her will be changed forever. While I know that I didn't have to wait FOUR years, I also feel confident knowing that a) they provided her comfort and companionship and b) she was ready to part with them. Somehow, the stars aligned and the process was barely a blip on our screen. She amazes me daily.

Not that I think this is a plan that anyone else would follow, it worked for us. 6 months ago, the dentist gently suggested that I enforce a sleeping-only rule with the paci's. Well, it was good in theory, except that the only time she slept was at night, and there were still many transition times that she used them for. Nevertheless, I started planting the seed that when she turned four, it was a good time to say goodbye to the paci's. Sometimes I mentioned that this 'rule' came from the dentist, but I didn't emphasize it. I wanted her to feel empowered, and I also had fear that she would start to hate the dentist. :)

So we had a good 6 months to work the hype. I occasionally mentioned that it might be hard, but that she was learning and mastering other things that were hard, and how I would be right there with her. I was terrified - not gonna lie. She was a tried-and-true paci addict. It got to be the only way to keep her from talking (!!!!) so I was always secretly grateful for 3 minutes of quiet.

On the eve of her 4th birthday, we talked about it, and how I was so excited for her turning four, and how she has so many things to look forward to this this year (riding her bike, learning new letters in school, doing gymnastics & ballet, etc), and how they might be hard, but that I believed in her. I hadn't come up with a 'plan' yet, for how I was going to remove them. She was never thrilled with the idea of a Paci Fairy taking her beloved jewel tones to anyone else. So I just came out and asked her what she wanted to do.

And brilliance of all brilliance - she had what I think is a stroke of genius. She said she wanted to put them on a necklace. A necklace! Right?!?!! How cool is that?!? I knew it would work. I would poke a hole through the tip, and they basically wouldn't work after that. So we did, and she loved it. She helped me string them. It worked.

Now that they were inoperable, we had to get through the nefarious bedtime. The first night actually went rather well. I kept her busy that day on purpose. The only real tough moment was in the car, after dinner, and we had a long drive back from Arlington. She really missed those paci's, really cried out for them, rued the day we had ever put them on a necklace and I felt awful being stuck in the driver's seat while she cried huge crocodile tears. But I held her hand, and we made it through the drive, and that night she went to bed without even mentioning it. I know it's crazy that this is such a big deal to evoke such an elaborate write up, but I am just so proud of her, and even proud of myself for following her lead. I think she genuinely was old enough to appreciate the significance (either that, or I just waited longer than I needed to, ha!)

Anyway, the next two nights were just as painless. During the day, she was so proud to announce to anyone who would listen that she got rid of the paci's. At night we just spent a few more minutes winding down. The Paci Fairy did still come, but she wrote a note instead (an idea I got from Pinterest, natch), and left behind a "Baby Alive" doll.

She still talks ALL. THE. TIME. and I don't have a mute button anymore, but we are very happy to spend a few extra minutes snuggling instead. :)

You go, girl!

funnies

2011-09-30T20:04:00.005-04:00

It's a good thing she is so funny. I needed some humor yesterday. I almost had a 4 year old for sale. :)

She brought this lovely home from Ms Laura's yesterday. She loooooves drawing and she's getting really good at drawing pictures of people with real details (hands, eyes, etc). This is a picture she drew of her family. There's me on the left, and Roger on the right. Little Emma in the middle and we're all standing on grass. How cute is it that we're all under a rainbow?! Anyway, my favorite part?

That we all have antennas.

Second funny of the day had to do with this fantastic gift:

She got this wonderful bead-making kit from Cailin for her birthday and Ms Laura told me how much Emma enjoyed opening it. According to her, the conversation went a little like this:

Emma: (opening gift) "Oh! cool! beads!"

Laura: "Yes - you can make your own necklace or bracelet, and you can spell words. You can spell anything you want....like, 'mom' or 'peace' or 'love'. You could spell your name....anything!"

Emma: "Oh! I am going to make a necklace for my mom!"

Laura: "That's great! What do you think you'll spell?"

Emma: (without missing a beat) "Peace and Quiet".

love that girl. :)

farm party!

2011-09-26T16:11:00.004-04:00

Giddy-up! Mosey on over to the photo blog for snaps of the Em's big 4th birthday petting farm barnyard bash!

first day of school!

2011-09-06T19:22:00.001-04:00

margot is 2!

2011-09-05T19:40:00.000-04:00

I have a bunch of great pics from Margot's birthday party in NYC coming, but these are a good placeholder. God, do I love these girls!!

so fascinating

2011-08-28T12:43:00.004-04:00

She's obsessed with watching videos on my iPhone.

Actually, I use this to my advantage when unloading groceries from the car....she can sit and scan the pics & videos. It keeps her occupied while I run things in. Little did I know that on this particular day she learned how to TAKE her own video.

She's such a maniac.

friday phone dump

2011-08-26T07:07:00.004-04:00

to the Hamptons, dahling

2011-08-12T16:37:00.003-04:00

That's what I told Emma when she asked me where we were going as we packed the car to the gills. My sister and Margot invited us up to East Hampton for a couple days of sunshine, country air and squealing girls. Uncle Andy had been there over the weekend, but had to go back to work. Luckily, Ginger stayed behind to watch guard.

We had the whole cottage to ourselves, complete with a pool and twenty-some acres of soft, New England grass. I'd say though, the highlight was the swing hanging from the 150 year old oak tree.

Love these next ones!

The cottage was kind of a bizarre mixture of modern and antique. Tons of natural light, though. It was pretty sparcely furnished, but we made it work. Actually, it left us all lots of room to spread out.

Right after I took the picture above, Margot wanted to see it. I wanted to see her olive-colored eyes.

Poor Margot...she wanted to play, and Emma was being a bum.

Margot makes sure to stop and update her Facebook status.

And there were a few business meetings conducted on the stairs...

Bathtime with two girls under 4 is a hoot. Lots of tossing water on each other. Cuz that's what cousins do! :)

Sleepy babies (and the wrong focal plane....oh well!)

Sweet Ginger...she was (literally) never more than 2 steps behind the girls. When you're a South African Mastiff, you're used to herding much larger animals. :)

On Wednesday, we packed up and went to the beach. We had it all to ourselves!

Naturally, you gotta rinse all that sand off afterwards...

In between naps and snacks, the girls hung out together. Lots of playdough and drawing. Will Margot be a righty?

Or a lefty?

Now for the next series....I'm not much of a morning person, but the rooster from the farm next door made sure I knew who was in charge. Thursday morning, we woke up to a misty, dewy, haze. I saw the horses in the pasture next door from my window, and grabbed my camera. I literally think I got my contacts in, and we flew out the door. No time to change!

As soon as they saw us, they came right over. Emma (who's into naming things these days) promptly named them "Chip Chip" and "Phillip". Phillip was renamed "Romeo" a little while later.

Here they come!

Chip Chip was the friendlier of the two.

Our last day...I had to do a collage with these.....just too many to publish. I don't remember who started, but I was in the bathroom when I heard giggling. I turned around to discreetly try to watch them.

This is totally random.....but this is Emma running back to see if her beloved Chip Chip will come out and play with her one last time. Alas, he was nowhere to be found. :(

Sadly, our trip had to end. I had to document the typical family road trip car packing. 2 adults + 2 toddlers + 1-135lb dog = a s#(%load of stuff!!

Thanks Anna Banana! We love you guys! XOXO

Howard County Fair

2011-08-11T13:50:00.004-04:00

I have so much to catch up on, but first, a little bit about our trip to the Howard County Fair on Monday.

It was hot. I had Emma and her cousins for the day, so we took a vote and decided to go to the fair. We had to wait a little while until the rides opened, but I'm glad we did. Lots of fans inside the animal barns. :)

First, we visited the animals. So many to see, and we could get up really close. There were brand new baby bunnies, and the cutest little piglets I've ever seen. Look at those tails!!

The fairgrounds are actually open all year long, as many of the 4H kids come here to work. The kids got to relive their beach days, by burying each other in corn kernels. Such a brilliant idea! SO much less messy (?) than sand!

Not the best pictures below, but a funny story. Emma found a baby goat inside the show animal barn. This little guy was making the most noise in the entire barn. But he was so cute and friendly, and she just sat and talked to him for ever. Finally, she told me that she was going to name him. It was loud in the barn from the animals and all the fans, so this is kind of how the conversation went:

Emma: "I'm going to name him Parker!"
Me: "Aw, Parker? Like our dog?"
Emma: "No! Barker!"
Me: "Barker? Because he makes so much noise?"
Emma: "No! Hooker!"
Me: "Hooker??! Hooker??!" (getting terrified)
Emma: "NO! Mom! You're not listening! Honker!"
Me: "Ohhhhhh! Honker! Yes, that's the perfect name!"

Sheesh. I need to get my hearing checked. :)

Finally, the rides opened, and it was time to get our wristbands! There were lots of rides, but some of them had restrictions for height. Wouldn't you know it, she was one inch too short for the "big" kid rides that she wanted to go on with Morgan & Tommy. Probably just as well. This one's quite the daredevil.

Did I mention it was hot?

Hilarious. Pig races. We missed the duck races by 30 minutes.

Morgan & Tommy were a dream, and we spent FIVE hours together and everyone got a long great! They got to go on a few rides by themselves, and Emma was devastated. Luckily, she'll be tall enough next year!

Our last ride of the day - the Tilt A Whirl!

You can't forget the fair food!

It was a long, hot day, but everyone got along great. M & T were so helpful. This was the last picture of the day. Yeah, Emma is DONE.

Happy Thursday!

bethany beach 2011

2011-08-10T14:30:00.000-04:00

This will mark our 2nd annual trip to Bethany Beach with family. It's a great time for everyone - Bruce and Linda make it so easy to enjoy and relax. Convenience is key!

There were 10 of us, in 3 condos, all on the same floor. Plus, we have the pool and the beach right out front! The biggest decision of the day is which bathing suit to wear, and which sandwich to pack for lunch.

Speaking of lunch, if you haven't already, you MUST try these! They were hands down, the most popular thing (besides the donuts) on the beach. I bought a pack of 16 of them at Costco for our trip. They were gone by the 3rd day. Your kid won't be able to eat just one.

Ok, so back to the week. Isn't he handsome? I think so. :)

There was a lot of this..

and some of this..

and even more of this..

We cruised the strip...(ok, not really. there wasn't much activity past 9pm, lol!)

Sweet, beautiful Morgan.

A little last-day-of-vacation-photo shoot:

All of the cousins! This one's for you, grandma lee! :)

Thank you Bruce & Linda!

our new friday night ritual

2011-06-25T07:29:00.003-04:00

So nice to have a little slice of nature right in our backyard. Going for a sunset canoe ride has become our Friday evening ritual, and I love it. Dad & Em are the fisherpeople, and I try my best to steer. This particular evening, the water was like glass - a mirror image of the marbled blue sky. It's so quiet and still and all you have to think about is which side to paddle on. We can talk (or not) and just be together and make memories.

These two crack me up - cut from the same cloth, I tell ya.

Aaaahhh, now that's a nice way to end a busy week.

emma-isms

2011-06-21T11:12:00.008-04:00

It's been 90 miles an hour around here lately, and that provides the perfect incentive for some comic relief. Here are some of Emma's most recent hilarities:

"It's ok mom, your ears don't stick out."

"Mom, by best friend knows ALL my secrets." (???)

"I'm being a shape detective mom, you're going to have to entertain yourself."

"Mom, do you think the Paci Fairy gets lonely?"

"No, I don't want to work on that. I don't have any insurance."

"Mom, can I be *Jay's girlfriend? He needs me to drive him to work."

"Dad returning from his business trip: Hey Emma........I brought you something! Come see!
Emma (very excited): What is it? Is it mustard??!!" (??????)

*Jay is our 38 yr old next door neighbor, with whom she is completely infatuated.

mushrooms

2011-06-09T14:25:00.006-04:00

None of these pictures are technically perfect, in fact, few of them are even in focus. But I just couldn't delete them. The blur of her twirling and that big, gappy, buck-toothed grin complete the mental picture I had of her on this walk. It's parenting snapshot I want to remember forever - right down the blue piggy paint toenail polish. And then there's the flip flops 3 sizes too big that we HAD to buy last summer when she fell in love with them, and they were the only size left. And then there's the Dora bandaid she put on her right knee, "just in case I fall down". And the pink flower headband she slept in for 2 nights after our neighbor brought it back from their vacation in a pink bag, just for Emma.

Anyway, today's glee was provided by Opa. She had just come home from a Build-a-Bear and lunch date with him, and she had the! best! time! She named her bear, "Flower Daisy" and customized her from head to toe, including bows on every appendage. She was so proud, so excited, and wanted to show Miss Daisy off to the world.

We had a nice long walk that day. We stopped to look at just about everything. The sunlight was shining down over the lake like cream that afternoon, and it hit me how dark her freckles are getting, how long her ponytail is, how she still has those chubby baby cheeks and all the while, how grown up she is (and how much 3 year olds have a penchant for sticking out their tongues!)

This post has nothing to do with mushrooms, but we spotted some on our walk. Aren't they amazing? Don't you just want to crawl under one during a rain storm? I thought so.

Back to that sassy little girl, this pretty much sums her up:

end of year picnic

2011-06-09T14:01:00.005-04:00

Oh good, you're still here! :) The last few weeks have been a flurry of activity with school activities, picnics, parties, and lots of time spent outdoors.

Emma's end of year school picnic was a hit. She wanted to be very prepared, so she dressed and packed herself for the big day:

First order of business was face paint and the playground!

Sliding with her gal pal Madison...

Then the bubble station...

Then KONA ICE!!!

Comparing notes with her homegirl Kaitlyn...

followed by some girl talk...

What a great day!

the many talents of a consummate actress

2011-04-29T10:04:00.003-04:00

Contrary to what you might think, I was not planning to take these pictures. It's rare these days that I can pull out the camera, and not have her request that I take her picture. I was actually taking pictures of her dad, but she had just tried on her ballet recital costume (I know, a riot huh???), so how could I not? Here she is channeling her best Good Ship Lollipop. She'll be appearing in theatres locally starting on June 18th. :)

Oh, and the other most requested activity? "Mommy, measure me!" Look how tall this little weed is getting!

maryland zoo at baltimore

2011-04-27T11:16:00.004-04:00

Emma's had the good luck to compare zoos in three different states. Yesterday, we went on a class field trip to the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore. After the San Diego zoo, I have to be honest, I didn't have super high expectations. In reality, I was very pleasantly surprised. The zoo is easy to get to, easy to park, easy to navigate, and was not crowded in the least. It had all the 'classic' animals, and for the 2-5 age group, the size is just perfect. You can see the whole zoo in a few hours, and get a decent workout in if you bring a stroller. Since Emma had been fighting a fever, I told her that we wouldn't pass on the scheduled-months-ago-class-field trip, but that she should conserve her energy as much as possible by riding in the stroller. She happily obliged and we both had a great time.

The class met up at the entrance, and we met again for lunch, but in between we were able to wander around on our own. We spent a lot more time there than I had planned, because we were just enjoying it so much. The fresh air, the cool breeze, the exercise and the warm sunshine. I think we've been so desperate for great days like this!

I will spare you the graphic details (some people even took pictures!) but let's just say that spring love was in the air. Almost all the animals were out, and spring has definitely brought out the love hormones. A loooooot of the animals were in heat. I'll spare you a bad joke about the size of a giraffe's neck, but it was quite comical. :)

We had fun on the train ride, the awesome giant tree-trunk slide, feeding the giraffe's, an ice cream sandwich and the carousel. We saw lions, penguins, elephants, chimps, polar bears, snakes, vultures, the Baltimore Raven, gazelles, warthogs, ostriches, zebras, rhinoceroses, cheetahs, and our favorite of the day, the Snowy Owl. Only the camels seemed to be on vacation. It was so great, that I think we'll definitely be back. Our next stop: the National Zoo. Can you believe she's never been?!?!

And here's the African elephant munching on some out of bounds snacks :)

Easterrific!

2011-04-25T10:02:00.003-04:00

We had a great weekend. Rounding out our spring break week with dying eggs and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Emma had a blast hunting for eggs, and was especially tickled at the Easter Bunny's generosity this year. It's not every year that she'll wake up to find a dollhouse waiting for her, but she has had this on her "list" for ages. Easter Sunday couldn't have been more beautiful and we spent it outside the whole day. Between the sunshine, the chocolate marshmallows, and rolling down the grassy hill for an hour, the little one was tuckered out. She was in bed, asleep by 7:15. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

easy like Sunday morning

2011-04-20T10:27:00.004-04:00

Just my favorite little, doing her favorite activity, in her favorite spot.

wordless wednesday

2011-04-13T10:03:00.001-04:00

word to your mom.

2011-04-06T15:00:00.002-04:00

drawrings

2011-03-29T18:31:00.008-04:00

Keeping our funny bone alive, this one. I keep a cube note pad & pen by my bed (you know, for all those annoying middle-of-the-night-emergency-thoughts). Emma likes to doodle on it while I change the sheets or put away my clothes. After she finishes her masterpieces, she starts stashing. She likes to stash them between the pages of my book, tucked inside my shoes and inside my underwear drawer. She gets a big kick out of me finding them. As soon as I show her my discoveries - I kid you not - she usually asks me if I want her to 'sign her work'. Where did that come from?!

Anyway, thing is, she's getting pretty good! She went through a period of anal retentive circles (think reeeeeeallly small circles, hundreds of them on a sheet of paper). Then a letter "T" phase. Well, now it's an astronaut/alien hybrid. I think it's pretty darn hilarious. She's awesome.

daffodils and a cane pole

2011-03-23T07:44:00.003-04:00

I felt a little bit like a country song yesterday. Daddy's gone fishin', baby's pickin' flowers. You get the idea. It was just too nice out, and since we've been feeling cooped up this winter, we decided to break in Emma's fishing pole. A Barbie fishing pole. That she LOVES. She is so enthusiastic about everything, it's just so darn cute. She was thrilled to go fishing with her dad, so I offered to take pictures.

It must have been our lucky day, because Roger caught not one, but two fish. (cue the Dr. Seuss rhyme). Emma had a great start - casting and reeling, and even calling for the fish to come. But as all three-and-a-half-year-olds do, she lost interest, and found greater pleasure in the daffodils. The best part for me was breathing the warm fresh air, hearing the woodpeckers and seeing my family together, enjoying the outdoors.

focus

2011-03-20T11:04:00.005-04:00

This was one of those events that you picture going a little.....differently. I don't know why I expected everything to click the first time. Emma was SO excited to ride her bike. I found the bike last year at a consignment sale, but her legs weren't long enough to reach the pedals, and she just wasn't that into it. She got her basket and her streamers for Christmas and this year, has been patiently waiting to bedazzle her bike with them and go for a spin.

Yesterday was gorgeous outside and she was so pumped. I could hardly stand it. She had seen other kids riding their bikes, and she wanted to learn so badly. She kept telling me, "Mom, I'm not going to give up!" Ugh - melt my heart!! Within five minutes though, it was clear that this was hard work - for both of us. I am usually so good about explaining how to be safe, what to do with this hand, and how to move that leg. I was totally unprepared and more importantly, totally unrealistic with my own expectations. I was trying so hard to balance encouragement and praise with letting her learn by herself. I didn't want to do it for her, but it was so hard to see her struggle to turn the wheels. It's one of those experiences that we adults take for granted. Keep your eyes up, steer with your hands, pedal with your feet, push back to stop, stay to the right. That's a HECK of a lot for a little brain to process. I think it was an epic fail on my part as a mom, because I did get frustrated (mostly with myself) and by the end of the lesson, she was yelling at her feet to focus. :( I let dad take over, and he did much better, being the natural cyclist that he is, with a seemingly endless supply of patience. XO. :)

With the weather being so nice, the lake path was crowded, so our efforts were compounded by the fact that we had to stop every 2 minutes to let the fasters go by. In the end, it was a good experience for all of us. I think the highlight for her was having a basket on her bike. That was more thrilling than anything else! She enjoyed the snack breaks we had every 30 seconds, "Hold on mom, I need a drink. Hold on mom, I need a snack. This is a lot of work". Yes it is my dear, but we're not going to give up! :)

blast off

2011-03-20T09:58:00.007-04:00

FINALLY getting out to do things. We are enjoying the good weather and our proximity to the wonderful slew of museums in D.C. Gigi and I took Emma on her very first Metro ride. Hard to believe it took so long to get her on the subway, I practically lived on the Metro growing up. I think at her age though, she'll actually remember it. The hard part is doing it in a stroller. I thought about just walking it, but it's a lot of walking, so I knew she'd get tired. Plus, I get really nervous around those platforms! There must have been 458 elevators for us to take in order to get to the right platforms. Small, stinky elevators. And each of those elevator rides add an additonal 2-3 minutes to your trek. She expressed her own wariness: when I told Emma that we would be going underground into a tunnel, her response getting onto the first elevator was, "I don't know about this". I swear she's 3 going on 30.

The Air and Space museum was our choice for the day. It wasn't a long visit, since the ride to get there was effort enough and we were tired upon arrival. She loved the astronaut 'costumes' and asked to see a real alien. She got to fly a plane and look through a telescope at the moon. We stayed about an hour, and celebrated afterwards with an ice cream (if you can even call it that!) Gotta love those bright colored snack vans perched directly outside the museum doors. Brilliant child advertising. :)

I love my Gigi!
The picture below is Emma and I on an infrared/night vision camera. That's her little head in the middle! :)

No idea what Powerpuff Girls are, but this is the one she wanted. Isn't it freaky looking? She enjoyed the musuem, but couldn't wait to get her hands on this!

And yay for tulip magnolias! Spring is here!

sweets

2011-03-07T08:31:00.002-05:00

Click on the pic below to go to my photo blog. Check out our pics from Tia and Baby Margot's visit!

the stasher

2011-02-21T16:18:00.014-05:00

Emma is a busy 3.5 year old. She was born busy. She's always moving things, stashing them here, stuffing them there. She's always finding a bag to carry her things in, and when her bag is full, she adds stuff to her doll's purse. Some people call her the "hoarder". We'll find stuff stashed inside drawers, hidden under pillows, and shoved between doors. I'm not sure where this falls developmentally. Is it spatial recognition? Fine motor skills? Precursor to being a cat lady?

I finally decided to document the randomness I find on a daily basis.

When she does slow down, she loves to build hot dog bridges.

these are dog days

2011-02-20T16:53:00.004-05:00

We have two sick popsicles here - Em is the only healthy one. One sinus infection and one Type-A flu is really cramping our pre-spring style. This is pretty much how we're feeling these days.

Luckily, the medicine is helping and everyone is napping. We are SO ready for sunshine!!

we love Love.

2011-02-14T11:05:00.003-05:00

In preparation for Valentines Day, her teachers at preschool asked the kids to list one thing they love. They posted the list outside the classroom for all the parents to read. Lots of love on that list - I love my brother, I love my mom & dad, I love my bed, etc. Emma's answer? "I love the whole, wide, everything".

We love Love!

Em the cooking gal

2011-02-10T14:47:00.004-05:00

Lots of love this week! We cook in a tiara, do you? :)

P.S. the weird flatulent sounds come from focusing my camera. got to remember than next time! heh!

Brotherly love from P-funk:

Woman.....Woman.....who do you see?

2011-02-01T19:53:00.011-05:00

I FINALLY got the HD video on my mark ii figured out and thought I'd give it a shot tonight. It really is pretty fun to know that I can take a video and stills using the manual features of my camera. In other words, I can adjust the aperture, ISO and shutter speed of the video settings too! So, for tonight's example, I had really low light, but I just adjusted a few things and was able to capture what my point-and-shoot video probably wouldn't have. Kinda fun!

There's always a price to pay for technology, and in this case, the HD videos take up an ENORMOUS amount of space. The clip below takes up almost 600MB of space. Compare that to one, unedited jpg coming straight from my camera at 2MB, you can see how I will eat up hard drive space fast! It seems I have to go through an extra step of converting the video in order to upload it to my smugmug...and in the process of converting/compressing it, I think the quality got reduced, bah!! I'm not sure I'm doing it right, so I'll keep trying.

It's still pretty cute. Here's Emma's rendition of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear". Some of you probably know this book by heart, but if you don't, the "woman, woman" part is funny, because it's supposed to be a teacher. :)

oldie but goodies

2011-01-13T20:17:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year!

You can expect to see some changes around here, since I'm doing a lot of consolidation. Despite my track record over the last year or so, I love having a blog. In fact, more nights than not, I lie in bed thinking of funny and clever things to write about (this is usually whilst trying to fall asleep. Isn't that always the way it works?!) I want to get back into making regular occurences, but I think I'm going to stick to one blog (my photo blog) for the clever wit, and use our neglected smugmug account to fill in alllll the gaps. You see, I got to a point where I was taking SO MANY photos, that to stop and pick a few, edit a few, and come up with something interesting each time got to be overwhelming to me. And if I got behind, the perfectionist in me wouldn't allow me to just skip over stuff so I just did nothing. I know, brilliant plan.

Anyway, to anyone who might still be reading this blog, just know that there is tons of stuff to check out still. I am in the process of backing up allllll my photos onto our Smugmug page (you can check them out here if you have a *lot* of free time). This solves my problem of having to pick anything in particular or 'significant'. It's our day-in-day-out pictures, so that I don't feel like I am missing anything. I am combining photos from my camera, photos from Roger's camera, photos from 2 video cameras and from my cell phone. This way I can get the whole shebang to document our life. It will serve as my virtual scrapbook, with this one thrown in for variety.

Shamefully, I have been walking around with over 300 pictures and videos stored on my Blackberry. Sometimes, the phone is just easier to grab! It never really occurred to me to do something with them. I kinda forgot about them, but OH! I can download them onto my computer! In about 2 minutes! There are some great stories in these files. Weeding through the last 18 months of crackberry pics/vids, I came across this little video from last March. It's hard to believe this was almost a YEAR ago but it's a classic. Tia (my sister) and Margot came to visit us, and Margot had just turned 6 months old. Emma and Margot took their very first bath together (first of many) and it was one that neither Anna nor I will ever forget. These cousins are exactly 2 years apart in age so it's going to be fun using these videos as blackmail when they get older and even CONSIDER stuffing pillows under their covers and sneaking out...

I'll set the stage for you. Picture it, Sicily, 1941....ok just kidding (a little Golden Girls reference for ya). Since they were bathing in the big tub, Margot used the bumbo to keep her stable. Well, the bumbo was also Emma's bath "toy" and she wasn't real interested in sharing it. But she did, and Margot got to sit next to her in the bath. However, every time Emma would get upset and raise her voice, it would scare Margot, who would then get upset and start to cry (and raise her voice). Emma finally got to sit in it at the end (yes, she still fits into it!) We made this little video to send to Gigi so she could see them interact. You might want to grab your volume controls so that you can adjust accordingly. It starts out really loud and then quiet and then loud again. Hope you find it as amusing as we did! :)

PS - Check. out. those. rolls.

PCS

2010-12-04T09:21:00.004-05:00

hop on over to my photo blog to learn more about the phenomenon known as "PCS". :)

2010-12-01T15:11:00.006-05:00

I know, you're beside yourselves that I've actually updated the blog. Nice of you to join us again, Erika! :)

You'll be double excited to know that my piece de resistance, after a 3 month hiatus, combines two of Emma's favorite things: rubber duckies and being a complete goofball.

News

2010-09-17T14:48:00.003-04:00

I'm such a blogging slack these days. In case you're wondering why, you should check out my new photography blog!!! :)

www.erikahoffphotography.com/blog/

And as always, make sure to check out my photography website:
www.erikahoffphotography.com

vacation

2010-08-17T11:47:00.005-04:00

just one for now - my beautiful mama and her girls' girls

naptime FAIL

2010-07-27T18:40:00.003-04:00

Soooooo....this is how much destruction one little pixie can make in 30 minutes. She was told, as is the custom every afternoon, to take a nap. I even let Parker sleep in her room (a new development - he helps 'protect' her at night). The painter was here, the house was untouchable and I had to get some work done.

After 15 minutes, I heard her thump out of bed, and she quickly informed me she was NOT tired and did NOT want to go to sleep. She was hungry. She had to go potty. She needed another story. She had to change clothes. She wanted Barbie instead of Kitty. She couldn't find the orange paci. She wanted me to give Parker a high five......... You know the drill.

Finally, I gave into the reality that this little firecracker would not rest, so she was told she could have 'quiet time'. The rule was she had to play quietly and safely by herself. She couldn't bother me or Chris the painter (her new best friend). The door stayed open, but no matter what, she had to stay in her room.

She did.

I came back to find she had been very busy 'or-danizing'.

just because...

2010-07-27T12:41:00.007-04:00

she makes me smile :)

Fun in the Florida Sun

2010-07-16T15:56:00.005-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! I'm trying to be better about updating this blog. I got so clogged with photos, but thanks to a lovely compositor script I found in Photoshop, I can now make collages with all my photos. No more just picking 3 or 4! What a difference my life and this blog will be! :)

Emma and I took a trip to Tampa to visit my dad (also referred to as Pache) and believe it or not, found it refreshing to be in Florida. In July. Yes, it was warm, but not as hot as it had been here. We had a great time and spent lots of time outdoors. Emma loved playing 'jewelry store' and showing us how to wear a necklace properly. We went swimming every day, as well as to the playground/swinging. I didn't take my camera to the pool, but I do have a few snaps right before, of a little goofy, gap-toothed grin showing off her new goggles :)

We also made local outings to the Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Aquarium. They were both AWESOME! They are interactive, which is especially fun for little kids her age. At the zoo, she got to feed the goats and the budgerigars (parakeets). It's funny, because for such a fearless kid, she gets nervous around things that fly - bugs and birds. I did most of the bird feeding. She also went on her first pony ride - that was my favorite part! I grew up riding horses and I hope she will too. She acted like she knew exactly what she was doing and McCormick was very sweet to take her for such a wild ride (it was a big circle). ;)

At the aquarium, we saw lots of native sea animals. My favorites are always the seahorses, but the giant tank with turtles and eels and tropical fish was pretty cool too. She got to touch the pacific sea stars, the stingrays and the sea anemone. We missed the shark-feeding demonstration, but it was a great visit and very colorful.

I think this was Emma's 12th roundtrip airline flight and it was probably the best one we've done together. It's not exactly relaxing to travel solo with an almost-3 year old, but at this age she can finally sit relatively still in the seat coloring, playing or looking out the window and she makes friends with everyone around her. It's almost embarrasing. By the end of our first flight, she was giving everyone kisses on the cheeks and whispering secrets in their ear. Now that we're back home, she looks up at passing airplanes in the sky and asks me, "Are they going to Flordia too?" (that's how she pronouces it) I have fun with my little traveling buddy! :)

Happy 4th!

2010-07-07T08:40:00.003-04:00

We celebrated with the good stuff :)

potty training: check! toddler bed conversion: check!

2010-03-18T13:24:00.006-04:00

It's been a banner month here at Two Popsicles. First, Emma potty trained herself (practically!). We've had a potty out for months. On days when we weren't going out, I'd let her run around sans diaper and ask her if she wanted to go, and if she did, she could get a treat. It worked about 50% of the time. Naturally, there was lots of praise and peepee dances when she did. It was very exciting to know that she was making the connection. After that, she'd tell me that she wanted to go peepee, but it was usually after the fact, which was ok. Everything I'd heard said to let it be their choice and to not force it so I just didn't make a big deal out of it.

Well, something clicked about 2 weeks ago and all of a sudden, she just decided that she didn't want to wear diapers anymore. We were using pull ups almost exclusively at that point, so the mechanics of diaper changing was just like that of changing underwear. I bought her princess underwear one day, and after that, it was all she wanted to wear (in fact, I had to go back and get a 2nd pack in case Snow White happened to be in the washing machine!). I got nervous about what I would do if we went out, but it went swimmingly. I suppose some people think think this is a credit to parenthood, but from my perspective, this was all her. I mean, I know that kids eventually get potty trained, so it's not like it was a test for me as her mom. But she truly did this on her own. She just decided that she would rather wear the underwear, and she tells me every single time she has to go. We've had 1 accident in 10 days so far. No accidents for #2. Amazing to me. I know we'll have slipups along the way, but it's probably been one of the easier transitions we've made so far (the whole bottle/sippy cup thing was way harder!). She even goes diaper free at naptime! The only diaper she wears is at night, and she's woken up dry 8 out of the last 10 mornings so if it weren't for my unwillingness to change sheets in the middle of the night, we'd be totally diaper free. :) It's definitely a new dynamic though. I'm not entirely sure that kids out of diapers are easier than kids in diapers. I have to be prepared differently now (change of clothes at all times - including socks) and I have a potty in the back of my car. I have to scope out the bathroom upon arrival in every new venue. But we'll get the hang of that too. At least now I'll have some company when we go to the bathroom together, lol! :)

Speaking of transitions, TODAY was another big day!! Emma's always been a great sleeper, but lately naps were becoming a chore. I had taken off the front rail of her crib a few months ago and she had absolutely no interest in that. So it was a little surprise to me that she said three times this week to "make my bed little again". I wasn't entirely sure if she knew what that meant, but today at naptime I spontaneously took off the front rail and she hopped right in, as if it were an overdue lover's reunion. I threw in the princess pillowcase that cousin Morgan passed down to her this week, read a few books, told a few stories (our usual ritual), kissed her goodnight and walked out. I waited. And waited. I was expecting the thud, and the footsteps and the little buck-toothed grin at the door when she turned the handle. 1 minute went by. I couldn't believe it. Another minute went by. Surely by now I would have heard stirring. I waited another 5 minutes and all I heard was the clanking of her paci's together. After 10 minutes I bravely opened the door and O. M. G. My child is asleep, in her bed, alone, with no rail. Is it supposed to be this easy?!?! Granted, it's only day 1, but here's the proof:

Now....lest I get all cocky on you, I'm already WELL aware that the final transition will be the hardest. It will be the true test of my fortitude: The Paci. Girlfriend doesn't leave home without it, and for such an active child, it's one of the few things that physiologically slows her down. It goes in the mouth, and the eyes roll back and her whole body goes limp. That's how powerful it is. I have not made up my mind about when this iron standoff will take place. I'm certainly not ready yet. Sure, it's annoying to have to round up all 25 glow-in-the-dark silicone nubs before bedtime, and in the car, and when she goes for a bike ride, or to the playground, etc etc. But it soothes her, and that soothes me. I can't be lucky 3 times in a row to have her miraculously give it up on her own, but maybe a gradual phase out some time in the fall (coinciding with her first visit to the dentist). We'll see....for now I'm just relishing (and slightly mourning) how much my little big girl is growing up.

lollipops & bubbles

2010-03-05T13:47:00.002-05:00

she was in such a good mood yesterday. Wanted pictures taken of her and the outfit she picked out "all by myself!" We started inside, enjoying a lollipop she got as a favor from Cailin's birthday party.

Then, we had a little patch of sunshine, and went outside to blow bubbles

She tried SO HARD to blow her own bubbles. She just figured, the harder she tried, the bigger the bubbles. At one point, she was practically spitting. But when it did work, and a little bubble popped out, she was so excited!

...and play with our neighbor Ella and her dog Sasha.

And hands down, my new favorite picture of her. Ever. Yes, it's huge. That's how she is to me. :)

a two-fer!

2010-03-05T12:50:00.002-05:00

Two blog posts in one day!! I think I'm finally back on the wagon. The snow is melting, the sun is finally coming out, spring is around the corner and just this week, completed project #5 out of the 18,274 we have set out to accomplish. We have new lighting on the main floor now, and every little bit of change inspires me.

I hadn't picked up my camera in a verrrrry long time before this week. A couple snaps here and there, but my November 2009 folder is completely empty of family pictures. So sad. I was taking so many client pictures, that I got burnt out. December has a few, but not my usual plethora. January and February are sporadic. A couple here and there, but they didn't feel exciting to me, so I just kept putting off any real blogging. Throw in a heck of a lot of snow, the stomach bug, more house projects and the daily grind that saps your energy, and the last thing I want to do at 8pm is use my brain.

Well I think I've found my mojo again. :) And just in time! I'm trying out some new editing styles, and using more storyboards that seem to be trendy in photography these days.

On Tuesday, we went to the library (at emma's request) and were there right when it opened. We found a few books to read, had a snack and found out that Dr. Seuss story time was about to start. The older, grumpy librarian looked over her glasses at Emma and informed me that this particular class was for 3 years and up and I just said thank you and we grabbed our ticket. She had no idea! Emma loved it, and sat through the class, participating in every activity.

we're baaaack

2010-02-24T21:10:00.012-05:00

From 4.5 awesome days in Park City, Utah!! The trip was a blast and Emma was a fantastic traveler. For going that far away, for such a short trip (and a 2 hr time difference), she really held her own. There were fifteen of us staying at the condo too!! Girlfriend is now a bona fide 'party girl'.

I didn't take my SLR camera with me, but we got some wicked good videos on our point-and-shoot. Did I mention Emma was awesome? She went ice skating, snowmobiling, hot-tubbing, bus taking and overall enjoyed everything we threw at her. What memories we'll have of this trip!

I think I was the luckiest one of all, because I did all the skiing!! Emma was too young for ski school - they don't start until 3.5 years. Roger had a bad back from shoveling our way out of Snowmageddon 2010 AND a round trip drive to Miami. He and Emma hung out while mama learned to carve her way down Park City Mountain, thanks to the olympic training she received, courtesy of one Katie Fabian. You rock, girl!!

Here are a few EKH digital shorts:

In this video, Emma is proudly displaying her pink butterfly goggles. She wore these EVERYWHERE. It was the cutest thing ever. The first thing she asked for when she woke up in the morning was, "goggles!" followed by "hot tub!" Roger had planned on taking her on the Alpine Sled - a gravity-assisted roller coaster. After psyching her up and waiting for it to start, the cautious employees made the call that there was too much snow to operate. She looks so bummed, doesn't she?!

Since the Alpine Sled was a bust, Roger took her over to the ice skating rink. She rocked it!! She even helped her new friend Dani take a lap around the rink with a walker. Dani was younger than Emma, but Emma was trying her best to help Dani by putting her arm around her back. After the video, Dani got sad/frustrated, which you'll hear about in the next video.

This video makes my heart just BURST. I cry every time I see this video. My little girl is ice skating!!! All by herself!! I can't stand it. I am so unbelievably proud of her. She is willing to try anything. I would never have pushed her to do anything she didn't want to, because I can completely respect a healthy dose of fear. She didn't bat an eye. In fact, she asked to do it. I just adore her adventurousness and confidence. I hope I can continue to encourage and empower her to try new things and feel strong and independent. Ok, I took my mommy goggles off now. :)

A big group of us went on a 2 hour snowmobiling tour. It was sooo much fun. Emma was pumped the whole ride over and couldn't wait to take off. Every time we stopped, she'd say, "more!"

Shout out to our peeps!

Always Miss Independent, Emma wanted to work the throttle. BY. HER. SELF. :)

She had sooooo much fun that she decided a quick nap was in order. The guide even warned me it could happen, but I thought, "Oh no. Not my kid. Never happen." Well, here's proof:

Finally, nothing like ending an adventure packed day with a people packed hot tub. She would have stayed in here allll night long if we'd let her.

More pics to come! But lots of great highlights! I'm so excited for next season so we can get her on some skiis. :)

snowed in

2010-02-10T14:23:00.005-05:00

I was changing the sheets in the guest bedroom when, naturally, my little friend came in to see what I was doing. I threw her into the pile of pillows and all of a sudden, four days of being cooped up inside during a snowstorm came bursting out.

We broke all the rules during the snowstorm of 2010. Stayed in our jammies all day, ate breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. We watched more tv than usual (including mama!) and were allowed to jump on the bed.

I'd say this monkey had a great time!

2010-02-10T09:20:00.003-05:00

Last week, Roger and I both looked at Emma's static-y, wispy baby hair that had grown into about 5 different layers, all of different quality, and most of it landing in her eyes. I had never cut her hair, and part of me was so reluctant to it, for fear of losing her precious, trademark curls. But it truly was time. The ends were getting matted and it just wasn't doing her beautiful face justice.

So I took her to the 'cartoon cuts' place in the mall. I wasn't sure how she'd do since having her hair touched is one of the few things she really gets grumpy about. But luckily for her, they had non-stop Dora videos! Our hairdresser showed me how much she thought we need to cut off, and I almost had a heart attack. We girls are so attached to hair! But she promised me she'd leave the top long and that it would look MUCH healthier. I'm so glad we did it and she was so right! Her hair looks amazing, the curls are still there, and now they're bouncy and shiny and Emma loves telling people she got her hair cut!

Of course, the wooden heart necklace, the new polka dot bow and the cup of Maggie Moo's helped a little too. :)

All done!! Beautiful!! :)

new header!

2010-02-08T13:40:00.004-05:00

I mean honestly, it was time. We haven't lived in San Diego for over 6 months now - a detail I prefer not to think about right now!)

A huge shout out to my designer friend Sara for making us look spiffy! :)

emma's hair in review: 2009

2010-01-12T13:26:00.015-05:00

January - blowing bubbles with dada, outside in our San Diego backyard.

February - happy valentine's day!

March - playing on Black Walnut, with our friends Mei-lin and Keili!

April - snack time with dada

May - a snarky face. Out front, waving to our neighbors (Hi Chris & Jean!)

June

July - Basin Harbor, Vermont. Opa's 60th birthday weekend celebration!

August - Lake Elkhorn, Maryland

September - 2nd birthday!

October - Tampa, Florida. Modeling her dress from Pete & Bonita!

November - my *only* picture of her from the entire month, and I didn't even take it. I was sooooo busy that month!

December - Xmas time!

conversations with a 2.25 year old

2010-01-06T19:47:00.002-05:00

Emma: (walks into the kitchen after playing in the playroom)

"So. What's going on?" (no really, she said it just like that)

me: "Just putting the dishes away. Are you having fun playing with your dolls?"

Emma: "Yeah, but I need to do something."

--- silence -----

Emma: "Here you go, mom" (hands me her freshly-picked booger, and skips back to playing)

Aaaaah, the joys of two year old milestones :)

oh happy day

2009-12-21T09:58:00.004-05:00

(Emma channeling her best Kanye West impression...)

Well, we got our wish! Our first pre-christmas snow day! (I don't count the one on Dec 5th because it wasn't all that exciting...)

What a week. Our hardwood floor installation started on Wednesday, and naturally, they are still not finished. The snowstorm of 2009 didn't help much, and we are going on six days of makeshift meals and carryout due to all our furniture being squished into the kitchen (not to mention all the dust/debris leftover from construction, etc.) Good news is, it's going to look AWESOME!! Pictures will come later.

We managed to get out of the house yesterday evening for a little snow-trapsing with the Emster. She loves the snow!! She doesn't love cold hands though, I have to work on that part... (I just ordered her a pair of real snow gloves and snow boots, to prepare for our upcoming trip to UTAH! More on that later too!).

So here are our snow pics. Boy, do I need to work on photographing in snow. All that reflective white surface really throws off my metering! It's certainly not my best work, but oh well.

We had fun walking across the street to get a Rotisserie Chicken for dinner, and of course, a gingerbread cookie for Emma. She noshed on that cookie the entire walk home...

Roger doing a little joy-riding with our neighbor...

Sunset in Swan Point
Still got that cookie...
And finally, it might be a 'smart' car - but it ain't gonna dig itself out of the snow!

Speaking of digging, kudos to Roger. He is our hero. He spent six hours on Saturday night driving people (patients) home from the local hospital who had been snowed in. He spent the better part of the weekend shoveling our three cars out of the mounds of snow, before helping most of our neighbors shovel theirs out too. It was a very collaborative effort, in order to avoid previous squabbles over parking spots. In years past, people would valiantly shovel their cars out of their parking spots and leave for work, food shopping, etc. only to come back and find their neighbor (who HADN'T spent the day shoveling, but instead quickly dusted just their windshields enough to see four feet in front) come back and park in the 'clean' parking spots. RUDE! There should be a law against this! Oh, and there should be a law that you must remove the snow from the *entire* car before you're allowed to drive. That big mound of snow on your roof? Remove it! Before it hits MY windshield after a gust of wind blows it off your car on the highway!

But I digress....

don't be fooled...

2009-12-10T13:18:00.003-05:00

.....it's not all Fa-la-la-la-la-ing around here.

(I had to add, that this Santa was the *creepiest* Santa we've ever met. The dude had nasty long, yellow fingernails and absolutely ZERO personality. I think he was on drugs. So yah, Emma hit it straight on the money with a nice boot in the crotch. That's my girl!) :)

O, Tanenbaum

2009-12-07T21:28:00.002-05:00

an open apology

2009-11-12T19:56:00.004-05:00

I've lost my blogging mojo.

It's true, you've probably already figured as much, so it's time to come clean.

But let me just fill you in on why:
1) Swine flu. We are finally humanoids again.

2) I have 128 GB of pictures on my computer. Yes, giga-bytes.

3) House projects - painted emma's room & bathroom: check.
Painted hallway/staircase railings: half-check.
Upstairs carpet: coming Friday.
Powder room: plumbing complete. Drywall: exposed.
Hardwood floors: Ordered. Received. Roger lugs 36 boxes into the house. Wrong color. Roger lugs 36 boxes back to Lowe's. Delivery estimated for December now. Good times.

4) A ridiculously happy, energetic, loud, bossy, funny, energetic, busy, bossy, loud 2 year old. Need I say more?

5). Dora. All day, every day (if she'd have it her way).

6) Mom (me) having five photography clients in one month. And oh yes, 128 GB of pictures on my hard-drive that need attention.

7) Lots of fun meeting new mommy & child neighbors, trips to the horse stables and the library, and the carousel at the mall and new adventures every day.

8) House projects - hours of calling, getting quotes, price-shopping, material-shopping, more quote-getting and back and forth decision-making.

9) Fun weekends on the boat.

10) A loud, happy, busy 2 year old and 128 GB of photos clouding up my brain.

boo

2009-10-31T08:24:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!!

It will be an interesting day for sure. 2 of us already have sinus infections, and the 3rd (me) is fighting it tooth and nail. We've tried to take it easy this week, stay close to home and get lots of rest. But there's no rest for the weary! So much to do! House projects are in full swing and today we have to paint the entire upstairs (well, Roger will do the hard labor and Emma and I will supervise and keep ourselves busy). Then we have a neighborhood Halloween happy hour, followed by trick-or-treating with Morgan & Tommy!

Emma can't wait for that part. We've been practicing our trick or treat and she is VERY excited about wearing her costume. Luckily, Parker is just as enthusiastic - he'll make a great Hansl. :)

Happy Halloween from Hansl & Gretl!

hugs & pumpkins

2009-10-14T15:35:00.001-04:00

Two posts in one week!

Yesterday, we visited Cox Farms in Virginia with my best friends Elizabeth and Mary Kate! Can I tell you how special it is to be able to see my girls any time I want?! We've been apart for many years, and so we like to get together now as often as our schedules allow. Mary Kate and Elizabeth waited patiently for us to arrive after some icky traffic.

Emma and Charlotte were having the time of their lives. I don't think they stopped smiling the entire time. We ladies commented that we could have sat and watched them play all day. :)

I'm sure you'll see from the photos how great our day was. It's absolutely gorgeous here - fall is blooming, and I've waited a LONG time to enjoy these colors and the cooler air. Oh Happy Fall!

Oh yes! I almost forgot to mention that you'll notice my fancy shmancy watermark. What do you think?

Emma calls down to Charlotte: "Hey Charlotte! I'll help you up!"

Squeals and giggles all around...

Ring a round the rosy.....

pocket full of posies...

ashes...ashes...we all....fall...

...DOWN!

Emma and Charlotte perfecting their sorority "lean-in" during snack time:

Taking turns pulling each other in the flower carts..

sliding down the slide together..

Then it was time to do a little shopping. Emma wanted to buy some "baby pumpkins"

and Charlotte wanted some delicious kettle corn. When Elizabeth asked her how she was going to pay for it, she said, "mommy give me money!" So here she is with mommy's wallet :)

Then it was time for more hay time!

LOTS of hugs and kisses this day. I am so excited about their friendship. I'm thinking summer Europe backpacking trip in 2018?? :)

Finally...we have handsome AJ, who was perfectly content to watch the action enthusiastically. I would have gotten a bunch of awesome shots of AJ and his sister, but in my haste I didn't realize that my auto focus accidentally switched to manual focus during his series (slaps forehead). I'm so sorry, AJ! We'll get you next time I promise!! :)

Catalina!

2009-10-12T10:45:00.000-04:00

I still have photos from July to post (and yes, I realize it's October!) but I did want to post a slideshow from our trip to Catalina before we left San Diego. We had never been and I am SO glad we went! Our fantastic neighbors Chris & Jean invited us to go and we had a blast (we miss you guys!!)

Catalina Island was once the weekend destination belonging to the Wrigley family (as in Wrigley gum!) The island was entirely theirs and slowly, it came to be knowns as a playground for the rich & famous in Southern California during the first part of the century. People would take a ferry to the island, to dance the night away at the penthouse casino. In the 80's, the family sold off a large portion of the island to the local government as a tourist destination and the island exploded.

There are SO many fun things to do there - snorkeling, hiking, shopping, beaching and just enjoying the Mediterranean-like setting. I wish we'd had more time, because I definitely would have gone back again!

This blog will not RIP!

2009-09-18T10:01:00.001-04:00

Your eyes are not deceiving you, I am finally updating the blog!! It's only been 2 months since any real activity, and the summer is now almost over and I'm finally getting caught up. It's been another whirlwhind month (or two). I realized that the reason I had gotten stuck updating the blog was that I had 400 pictures from Mark's 60th Birthday party celebration in Vermont over the July 4th weekend. 10 man hours later, I have finally chosen (and edited) the 85 best photos.

We spent a weekend at Basin Harbor, Vermont to celebrate Opa's 60th. Friends and family came in to spend time together in the gorgeous green resort. We had lots of good outside time, a private lunch, many toasts, a boat ride and walks a plenty. It was a gorgeous place to celebrate the big birthday.

So grab a drink, and get comfy, cuz this slideshow is going to take a while!

our new normal

2009-08-11T21:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I have a LOT to catch up on. But I just wanted to upload pics from today. We're just now starting to feel normal again. It's been 3 weeks since our movers came and packed up our life in San Diego (that reminds me...I've got to come up with a new tagline for our blog name!) and now we're settling in back east. We're having a great time being back home. The heat doesn't even bother me right now, because, there's RAIN! And crickets! And so many other wonderful familiar things that make everything feel extra special.

We managed to move into our old house, and get everything set up for now. It's a looong road ahead - lots of house projects we want to accomplish. But we're totally loving the extra space. Emma literally runs around and dances in all the open areas. :)

Technically, we're still living by the 'water'. We traded the Pacific Ocean for the lake and even though we lived here before, it's awesome now with a little one! There is a 2 mile path around the lake, and a perfect tot lot just steps from our back door. We went exploring this morning before lunch.

checking out the ducks down by the dock:

Where on EARTH did she get those curls? And do you see that bow in her hair? Don't tell her it's there - she NEVER lets me go near her with one.

Putting the moves on Mason at the playground.

Enjoying the slide and the swing (or as she calls it, 'Whee!')

Poaching some sunscreen from Mason's grandma. She loves any kind of cream - she's definitely a girly girl. Just doesn't like bows!!

Checking out mom's shades. Hey - who's that in the reflection? hehe.

You may think I took this picture to show off her beautiful eyelashes. They are beautiful, but that's not what I was trying to show. I think hands down, one of my absolute FAVORITE things about my daughter, one of the things I hope she NEVER outgrows, is the thick, blonde, wispy layer of baby hair she has all over her face. It's so thick that it grows in two different directions around her forehead. It's so thick that it shows through the sunscreen. The hair on her head isn't super thick, but her baby hair is. I'm not sure if you can see the reflection of the sun on the blonde hair in the picture, but I wanted to remember it forever. She's my little fuzzy peach. I could just eat her.

And finally, she's still obsessed with those darn squirrels. Here she is following one up a tree as we walked back up to the house. What a great day!

goodbye beach bungalow!

2009-07-20T02:18:00.000-04:00

It's the last night in our little beach cottage here in San Diego. Tomorrow come the packers. We had an extra soapy bubble bath tonight to commemorate our last night. More to come soon, but here's a placeholder for ya!

June Jamboree!

2009-06-29T14:22:00.001-04:00

I think June gets the award for one of the busiest months we've had in a long time. I have a whole month to catch up on with blogging!

After Dad & Josh left, Gammie and Poppa came to visit. They got to visit Emma on her last day of school and participate in her graduation. Here she is with her diploma:

Here is Gammie presenting Emma with a new book. She knows how much Emma loves the touch-and-feel books. This one is called, "peekaboo! I love you!"

So the Emster finished school, I finished work and celebrated my birthday all in one week. After Gammie and Poppa left, we all traveled to Houston to visit Sarah, John and baby Jack. We got to stay with them in their gorgeous house! It was reallllly hot that weekend, so poor us, we had to spend most of the days at their incredible neighborhood pool - complete with baby pool and water slide. Emma couldn't get enough of the 'wawa'. It was the first thing she asked for in the morning, and the last thing she talked about before going to bed. She would have swam allll day long. There were so many pictures, so I decided to compile a slideshow (make sure you can read the descriptions):

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some video at the pool too. Luckily, our point and shoot is waterproof so we could take it in the pool with us. Fun! You can catch Emma enjoying the water slide (note the HUGE smile on her face) and chanting 'more! more!'. We'll definitely have to get this one some swimming lessons soon, she is FEARLESS.

It's been just as busy back at home. In fact, we're having so much fun that Emma has decided to stop sleeping. Lucky me! I kid, I kid - I think she's cutting her 2 year molars. We've been enjoying the summer with great weather and being outdoors as much as possible. This includes a little outdoor painting (note the various stages of undress):

yummy watermelon

trips to the playground with friends,

Here she is playing with her friend, Shae. Emma and Shae were born on the exact same day!

more pool time
and...I got to finally break in the portable studio I got for my birthday. I love it! I can't wait to use it more. Emma was happy to help me do some test shots, and she's sporting her very first ponytail (or 'ponie' as she calls it). :)

That's all folks!! It's the last day of June, so tomorrow starts another month of great fun! We're headed to Vermont to celebrate Opa's 60th birthday and then to New York for our friend Justin's wedding. We'll be back soon!

A girl and her garden

2009-06-09T13:38:00.000-04:00

These pics were taken at Hotel Del Coronado - what an amazing place. We had a great visit from Pache and Uncle Josh this weekend, so we took the whole gang here to get a little photoshoot in. Someone seemed to enjoy the good weather...

Forrest Gump

2009-06-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

"everywhere I went...I WAS RUNNING"

Busy Bee

2009-06-04T13:49:00.001-04:00

Emma is a very busy bee. All of these pictures were taken within 5 minutes. She loves coloring:

and playing with her baby. Here she is telling me "Shhhh.....the baby is sleeping."

and singing and clapping:

and trying on mama's slippers:

and climbing into and jumping off of the ottomans:

Me: "Emma, are you allowed to draw on the furniture or walls?"
Her: "Ohhhh no, no, no" (complete with shaking a finger, just like I do!)

All of this playing makes me tired! I think I'll take a little nap.

20 months!

2009-05-27T23:58:00.000-04:00

Emma is officially 20 months old today. I can't believe how these last few months snuck up on me. I feel like the first year went by....pretty fast. But it was all still so new that the ups and downs of being a new mother meant that I was always aware of where we were in the 'baby' stage - the first growth spurt, the longer stretches of sleep at night, the introduction of solids, etc.

Not that toddlers don't have milestones, but it just seems that everything happens gradually, and then there's a huge burst. Her language skills have blossomed tremendously since starting her 18-month class. She now understands even the most subtle of meanings - like a joke, or a silly phrase. She's a talker, let me tell you. She always has something to say, and she is LOUD.

Of course she's asserting her independence and loves to push the boundaries. Just today she swatted my hand away as I was trying to help guide her up a hill. She's so fearless, she'll try anything and isn't afraid of much. I just wanted to make sure she didn't fall backwards, but she let me know in that moment that it was ok to let go. It was so simple, and yet I almost cried. I can only imagine the metaphor this will come to mean in our future. At 20 months, she's still a happy, giggly, energetic, sweet, affectionate little twinkie who looooooves her Dada.

I thought I'd run down a list of her current faves:
Favorite food: Fruit! Mangos, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, you name it
Favorite drink: Milk
Favorite snack: 'Teese!' (cheese)
Favorite book: The picture book that Mimi made for her :)
Favorite song: Alouette (a french song I learned at camp as a kid. it's a song about plucking a bird - Yikes!)
Favorite activity: go outside!
Favorite TV show: Elmo (we only get 1 channel, thankfully, it's PBS)
Favorite toy: her babies and the baby stroller
Favorte phrase: "Ohhhh no, no, no" (and shakes her finger. wonder where she learned that?)
Most recent attachment: she's already stuck to the binkie, but most recently she's started adding her blankie and pillow to the mix. Can I tell you how hard it is to keep all THREE of these in the same place at the same time?!
Favorite breakfast food: Pancakes. The girl puts away 6 at at time!
Favorite destination: the aquarium - more specifically, the Octopus tank
Favorite diddy: "Maaaa-ma, Daaa-da, Paaaa-pa, Eeeemmm-ma" (she sings a song she made up herself about mama, dada, parker and emma - her family) :)

Favorite thing of mine: her running into my arms, scooping her up, twirling around, while she wraps her arms around my me, tucks her head under my neck and squeezes me tight. Then, pats me on the back. My cup runneth over :)

Babies! Babies! Babies!

2009-05-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I went to Atlanta to celebrate my sister's baby shower! It was a great weekend and sooo nice to hang out with Anna & Andy. They're going to be great parents. And doesn't she look AWESOME?! With good looking parents like them, that baby is going to be one gorgeous little bambino.

Pals in Portland

2009-05-12T13:25:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I went to Portland (OR) to visit my best friend, Mary Kate. It was also my first night away from Emma. The time just felt right, and I really wanted to see MK8 before we both left the west coast. We had a great time, and Portland is a beauuuuutiful place - so lush and green. It reminded me a lot of home. I got to meet her friends, and see her apartment, ate yummy food and wine, went hiking at the Gorge and we shared lots of fun memories and laughs. MK is moving back east soon too, so along with our BFF Elizabeth, we'll all be reunited! Trouble! :)

Emma did great and had a blast with her Dada. She was happy and rested and excited to see me when I got back in time to celebrate Mother's Day with my family!

Love & Yogurt: A Play in Three Acts

2009-05-05T14:13:00.000-04:00

We are SOOO ready for summer around here. Yes, I know we live in San Diego, but summer is still summer. The pools are out, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the grills are cooking and the beer floweth.

Sunday was a gorgeous day, so we decided to hang outside. Lunchtime came around, and Emma wanted to share her yogurt with Parker. They are such sweet friends.

For those of you who know and love Parker, you'll be sad to hear that he is going deaf. This is my tribute to you, sweet Prince Parker.

Happy Easter from sunny Florida!

2009-04-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

another day in paradise

2009-03-30T12:40:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses!

FOOD!

2009-03-29T13:54:00.000-04:00

One of my peeps at work started a food blog, and graciously invited myself and several other co-workers to contribute. How fun!! I made crepes this week - so check out the EASY recipe & instructions! :) You can check us out here:

Turning Paper Into Water

you busted

2009-03-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

California Penal Code 211 - (Robbery in progress)

On March 17, 2009 at 1600 hours, a suspect robbed a 'nummy num' jar at local pantry. Thanks to an anonymous canine tip, a description of the suspect was provided: a caucasian female described as 2'6" 22lbs wearing a baggy diaper and no socks. The suspect was yelling incomprehensible language, and alerted the police as to its whereabouts with its sheer volume. After a quick confrontation, the suspect was apprehended. Witnesses say the suspect was said to be seen leaving the scene laughing.

Home officers arrived on the scene and conducted a thorough investigation of the room. Forensic analysis identified the remains of what appeared to be traces of cocoa, sugar and dried fruit. The suspect EKH was sequestered for violation of California Penal Codes 211 (Robbery), 594 (mischief) and 647b (pubic intoxiaction).

The documentation below will be submitted for court hearings, pending interrogation.

Exhibit A: The suspect (front)

Exhibit A: The suspect (profile)

Exhibit B: The crime scene

Exhibit C: The victim - Chocolate Covered Raisins (deceased)

Exhibit D: The accomplice - Pat "Baby Face" Robertson

The Sentence:

Extra long bath, and education lessons on Moral Decency

Oh, and the final charge? Running While In-Chocolated :) Seriously, folks. Does this look like the face of a guilty criminal? I see a repeat offender in our future.

Wishing you the luck-o-the-Irish!

2009-03-16T12:50:00.001-04:00

the good life

2009-03-12T23:48:00.001-04:00

Parker would like everyone to know how HARD it is to be a dog.

self-portrait

2009-03-12T00:13:00.000-04:00

dragging myself out from behind the camera :)

Somebody loves the swings

2009-03-11T00:36:00.001-04:00

Especially when her Dada takes her! :)

Thank you, Thomas

2009-03-03T14:15:00.000-05:00

After a rough week, we had to get out of the house. Much of the time we spent recovering this week was spent watching Emma's new best friend: Thomas the Tank Engine. I'd been hoping to avoid tv/videos until at least the age of 2, but I quickly had to break my own rule, and did so willingly :)

Emma loves trains now. One of the Thomas episodes features a carousel, and she loves that scene every time it comes on. So we killed two birds with one stone on Saturday, and headed down to Balboa Park to take advantage of the fabulous carousel and mini-railroad that apparently has been down there for decades. Who knew?!

So sad. The look on her face describes how we were all feeling, but she did truly enjoy the experience.

blowing off some steam

2009-03-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a rough week here. After Emma got the Rotavirus, Daddy got it, and then Mommy got it. Oy! The only one who had a spring in his step was Parker, although he sighed a lot, no doubt frustrated that he was being neglected.

I had planned on posting these earlier in the week, but they seem fitting now. I think we're all on the mend now, but it's been a looooong week. So here's our goofy household letting off some steam.

Pardon my obnoxious narration - but Roger caught me off guard with emma's 'outfit', so I was a little hyper :)

Sumo Emma from Eeks on Vimeo.

Sumo 2 from Eeks on Vimeo.

Sumurai Warrior from Eeks on Vimeo.

And earlier that day, I caught Emma smacking her lips and pointing to the candy tub:

chocolate!! from Eeks on Vimeo.

Closing a chapter, opening another

2009-02-25T19:26:00.000-05:00

We're so sad to have to say goodbye to our amazing nanny Mandy, aka "Mimi". She's moving back east to become a teacher and Friday was her last day with us. We're truly going to miss her. She has been like family to us, and Emma would jump out of my arms every morning that Mimi arrived to go and give her a hug. It was a teary farewell. I always knew that Emma was in outstanding, capable hands and as a parent, you can't replace that feeling.

The new chapter is now opening and Emma started school on Monday. She did great with the other kids, playing, interacting and being her usual busy self. However, it was a lot of new surroundings, and she didn't sleep very well the first two days. Then on the third day she got the Rotavirus bug and threw up for the first time. It was a rough night, followed by a second night of diarrhea but she's feeling much better and surviving with a steady stream of Pedialyte popsicles. No shortage of popsicles in this house -thank goodness for those things! :)

So here's a little run down of our first day. Getting ready to drive to school with dada:

Making sure her baby can come with her!

And after I picked her up:

It's been a big week!

random February videos

2009-02-19T23:48:00.001-05:00

First there was "Baby-in-a-Bucket". Make way for the new & improved Toddler-in-a-Trader-Joe's-Shopping-Bag (swung by our friend and neighbor "Miss Jean", or as Emma affectionately refers to her as "Mean"):

goin shopping from Eeks on Vimeo.

Emma in her usual pre-bath form:

Feb from Eeks on Vimeo.

More dancing....and the spontantaneous digestive powers of Craisins:

February silliness from Eeks on Vimeo.

Happy Valentine's Day from the Wild Animal Park!

2009-02-16T23:43:00.000-05:00

Please excuse the hokey blog layout. I'm trying to customize it, and I got as far as my header, but html befuddles me sometimes. Should be cleared up soon!

This Valentine's Day we celebrated as a family at the Wild Animal Park. It was the first time we've been! It's a 30 minute drive, but sooooo worth it. I like it better than the zoo (and I didn't think that was possible!). Emma loved, loved it. I can't tell what was more fun - the petting kraal or the gorillas (primates are my all-time fave, and these guys were out and play-fighting.). I tried to get good pics of them, but ended up with lots of ape butts! :)

On our drive home, we stopped by some of the orange groves that had suffered in the 2007 fires. It's really eerie to see forests full of blackened wood. These are my pics, but I doctored them up in photoshop to emphasize the eerie feeling.

Matisse had a "blue phase"

2009-02-12T15:17:00.000-05:00

....I think Erika is having a "black-and-white phase". I am really digging this Photoshop thing!

The Lollipop Gangsta's

2009-02-10T16:05:00.000-05:00

We had a little Valentine's day photo shoot-playdate on Friday, where Emma got to hang out with Isabelle and Shae. Shae and Emma share the same birthday! I wanted to get some cute pics of the three of them and their marshmallow lollipops. Holy cow. As if trying to get a picture of three toddlers together isn't hard enough, throw some gooey sugar in the mix and it's NUTSO!

Anyway, here's some pics of the gangster-ettes enjoying their loot: